"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
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Director: Bruce A. Evans Writers: Bruce A. Evans & Raynold Gideon Genre: Crime - Drama - Mystery - Thriller Country: USA Certification: 18 Language: English Released: 8th February, 2008 (DVD)
MAIN CAST:
Kevin Costner (Mr. Earl Brooks) William Hurt (Marshall) Demi Moore (Detective Tracy Atwood) Dane Cook (Mr. Smith) Marg Helgenberger (Emma Brooks) Danielle Panabaker (Jane Brooks)
Earl Brooks is a highly successful businessman, a loving husband and a doting father-but he's also a serial killer who loves killing couples and placing them in romantic positions so that he can photograph them. When Mr. Brooks inadvertently leaves the curtains open during a murder, an amateurish mistake caused by an unconscious desire to be caught and stopped, he is captured on camera by a voyeur who was getting off watching the murdered couple having sex. When Mr. Brooks is approached by the voyeur, he is somewhat bemused to discover that the voyeur isn't blackmailing him
for money… but for more sordid performances! The problem is, Mr. Brooks is trying to control his murderous nature and doesn't want to kill again-added to this a detective who refuses to give up until he's behind bars, a daughter with a terrible secret, and a split personality that is constantly goading him to kill… Mr. Brooks' life is not an easy one.
'Mr. Brooks' is absolutely riveting - with a stellar performance by Costner who has shied away from the 'romance' genre these past few years in order to become a serious actor. Never a great Costner fan, I was bowled over by his performance in 'The Guardian' two years ago, and totally blown-away by his performance in 'Mr. Brooks'.
'Mr. Brooks' possesses a somewhat simplistic storyline, one where the main character's double personality appears as a 'real' person. Marshall, played by the incredibly talented William Hurt, is an integral part of Earl Brooks, he is the one who is constantly tempting Brooks to kill, however, he isn't totally evil, just as Brooks isn't totally good. Although Marshall is only a figment of Brooks' imagination, nothing more, in truth, than a voice in Brooks' sick mind, he does not live within Brooks' mind - he possesses his own body, one that only Brooks can see.
'Mr. Brooks' is possibly the most engrossing movie I have seen this year. During the movie's 120 minute runtime, the viewer is plunged into the sordid mind of a serial killer yet, oddly, the murders don't actually play an integral part of this movie. Yes, people do get killed, but the story itself isn't all about the stalking or the killing, it's about Mr. Brooks - his life, his wife and daughter, his friends… and Marshall. There is just so much going on with Mr. Brooks that the killings take a back seat, and curiously… the viewer tends to forget that Mr. Brooks and Marshall are wholly evil. The viewer is totally engrossed in the characters, absorbed by their twisted sense of humour and their pragmatic outlook on life… and then along comes Mr. Smith, the voyeur who has taken a fancy to murder and desperately wants to learn how it's done!
This movie is incredibly well acted (apart, perhaps, for Demi Moore), and is a veritable kaleidoscope of shades of 'evil'. There are no 'good' characters, only 'less evil' ones, which is what makes this movie so darned fascinating. The viewer doesn't (can't) latch on to any of the characters because none of them are actually 'nice', therefore a new frame of mind sets in, and you find yourself watching not as a 'viewer', but as a 'spectator'. There is a sense of detachment on the one part as you watch this movie, yet there is, simultaneously, an overwhelming sense of being a part of everything… in a way, we become Mr. Smith, the voyeur. We are watching Mr. Smith, who is watching Mr. Brooks, who is watching the victim… we are all accomplices.
'Mr. Brooks' is a fascinating movie to watch - regardless that there are no special-effects, no great soundtrack or likeable characters. The storyline is wickedly entertaining with its twists and turns, the acting is superb, and the atmosphere, always on the edge of dreariness, perfectly compliments a story that is neither black or white… but a perfect shade of grey.
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Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Bharat Nalluri, Rob Bailey, Andy Wilson - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matthew MacFadyen, Keeley Hawes, David Oyelowo, Peter Firth, Jenny Agutter, Lisa Faulkner
Consider Mr. Brooks. A successful businessman a generous philanthropist a loving father ... more
and devoted husband. Seemingly he's perfect. But Mr. Brooks has a secret - he is an insatiable serial killer so lethally clever that no one has ever suspected h...
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Advantages: Dane Cook shows he may have range and William Hurt is very good. Disadvantages: Poor writing and direction that leads to an absence of tension.
afy9mab 24.10.2007 ·
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Sep 9th, 2008
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